Artbank and Bankaool bring Mexican contemporary art to Singapore

Three Mexican artists created live large-scale works at the Singapore Art Museum in an exhibition that drew 300 visitors on opening night. The project used Día de Muertos imagery and a Singapore residency to build cultural exchange between Mexico and Singapore.

Why it matters: - The exhibition connected Mexican contemporary art with Singapore audiences through a live, public-making format that is rare in museum settings. - The project was designed as cultural exchange, not just display, giving the artists new audiences and new experiences outside Mexico. - The show used Día de Muertos as a bridge between traditions, memory and cross-border collaboration.

What happened: - Artbank presented “Donde nos recuerdan, volvemos” at the Singapore Art Museum. - Three Mexican artists — Alfredo Ríos “Profe”, Jimena Duval and Alan Rodríguez “R3do” — traveled from Mexico to create original artworks in Singapore. - The artists worked live before museum visitors from 28 to 30 October. - The exhibition opened on 31 October and welcomed 300 visitors that evening. - The exhibition closed on 2 November with an invitation-only event attended by nearly 100 guests.

The details: - Each artist made a 1.50 × 1.50-metre piece using a distinctive visual language. - The works were inspired by the altar as a space that can bring back what distance has separated. - The completed pieces moved to The Engine Room at the Singapore Art Museum and stayed on display from 31 October to 2 November. - The exhibition included marigold flowers and candles as supporting installation elements. - An audiovisual installation combined the exhibition’s visual identity with footage of the artists’ journey and production process. - The phrase “What We Love Cannot Be Contained in a Single Lifetime” appeared in the exhibition space. - Visitors at the opening could see the finished works, explore the installation and hear from the artists about the ideas and personal experiences behind each piece. - The closing event included conversations with the artists, a reception and a live performance by Mexican musician Carla Cardenal. - The project was supported by the Embassy of Mexico in Singapore, which helped with coordination, production, logistics and institutional connections. - The Singapore Art Museum hosted both the live creation process and the final exhibition. - Pan Pacific Hotels Group, through PARKROYAL on Beach Road, provided hospitality and accommodation for the team. - Artbank also thanked The Prime for support from Mexico.

Between the lines: - The exhibition framed remembrance as a living practice, using three separate works instead of one collective statement. - The approach aimed to share a contemporary Mexican tradition without turning it into a static cultural showcase. - The artists’ time in Singapore extended the project beyond the museum, with visits to different parts of the city shaping the exchange. - Artbank described the residency as part of its broader mission to expand the international reach of Mexican artistic practices.

What’s next: - Documentation from the artists’ Singapore visits and the production process will become part of a forthcoming audiovisual piece. - Artbank said the exchange will continue beyond the exhibition through the relationships and experiences formed during the residency. - The project adds to Artbank’s ongoing platform supported by Bankaool for exhibitions, artistic production and international visibility.

The bottom line: - The Singapore show turned a museum exhibition into a cross-cultural residency, pairing live creation with memory, tradition and public exchange.